Generally, this type of shelf assembly includes a pair of support columns, shelf boards that are supported at one end section and the other end section by the support columns, a pair of wires that extend between an upper end section and a lower end section of one of the pair of support columns, and a pair of wires that extend between an upper end section and a lower end section of the other of the pair of support columns. The shelf boards are connected to the pair of wires (refer to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A Hei. 8-73012), or lighting devices are provided on the pair of wires.
The above described shelf assembly is supported by fixing the respective lower end sections of the pair of support columns to the floor, and fixing the respective upper end sections of the pair of support columns to the ceiling. Accordingly, the length of the support columns need to be aligned with the distance between the floor and ceiling. To achieve this, conventional shelf assemblies must be provided with various pre-prepared support columns with different lengths that correspond to different distances between the floor and the ceiling. As a result, cost is increased.
To address this problem, the inventor of the invention of the application has conceived of the idea of providing comparatively long support columns with an upper end section and a lower end section that can be removed so as to align the length of the support columns with the distance between the floor and the ceiling. However, an upper support portion and a lower support portion to which upper end sections and lower end sections of the wires are respectively connected are fixed to the respective upper end sections and the lower end sections of the support columns. As a result, the upper end section and the lower end section of the support column cannot be removed to adjust the length of the support column to the distance between the floor and the ceiling.